All the hype about “natural” is not true. In fact, Cargill recently lost a $6 million settlement in a series of US lawsuits. Plaintiffs won the case, proving that Cargill misled shoppers by marketing Truvia as “natural”, even though the Rev-A sterol glycoside is “highly chemical processed”, and the bulking agent is “synthetically made” from GMO corn.

Cargill wasn’t alone, however. Big Food joined forces, since diet soda sales have plummeted over the past 10 years. According to the Wall Street Journal, the sale of low-calorie soft drinks has declined by billions per year over the past decade, as consumers became aware of the potential risks of neurotoxic artificial sweeteners.

So, to combat those health concerns, Coca Cola produced Truvia and Pepsi produced PureVia. Now, I don’t know about you, but I can’t consume anything produced by either of those companies (both Coke and Pepsi lobbied fiercely against the labeling of GMOs) and delude myself into believing the product is healthy.

Enter Truvia, the cure for all of those diet soda ills. Because, it’s natural!

Truvia is the second best-selling sugar substitute in the United States, most likely because the deceptive marketing is targeted at those who want to make healthier, less artificial choices. Remember how last week we discussed that Big Food isn’t making very much money? This is just the next volley of propaganda in which Big Food attempts to deceive the public into believing their processed food-like substances are actually food. Sales of Truvia in 2014 exceeded $400 million.

Traditionally, a leaf from the stevia plant was dropped into a hot beverage to steep and lend its sweetness. But the current product that’s being touted for its “natural sweetness” is a far cry from a leaf from the garden. (Despite how Cargill glosses over the heavy processing on the Truvia website.) In fact, Cargill had to settle a civil lawsuit a few years back because of their claims that the product was natural. The lawsuit forced them to put millions of dollars aside to settle future claims and they were required to put an asterisk on their tagline “Nature’s calorie-free sweetener.”

Nor is it actually mostly stevia…it’s mostly derived from GMO corn

Truvia is actually made mostly of erythritol, a sugar alcohol derived from genetically modified corn. Only 5% of the compound is actually derived from the stevia plant.

We talked about erythritol and it’s genetically modified origins above. This ingredient makes up 95-99% of the “natural sweetener.” Straight from the Cargill website, here’s how erythritol is made:

Erythritol is the first polyol to be manufactured on a commercial scale by a fermentation process. The starting material is a simple sugar-rich substrate which is fermented by a yeast like fungus to yield erythritol.

The product is then crystallized to 99.5 percent purity from the filtered and concentrated fermentation broth.

Rebiana

Rebiana (chemical name rebaudioside A) makes up less than 1% of the little packet. Rebiana (also called Reb-A) is a substance that is derived from the stevia leaf, but is not actually stevia. Although Truvia’s website says that Rebiana is retrieved from the stevia leaf by soaking it in water, the patent held by Coca Cola divulges that it actually takes 40 steps (!!!) to extract the desired molecule, steps that include the use of yummy stuff like acetone, methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, and isopropanol.

Natural Flavoring

If you’ve been paying attention, you know that the term “natural flavoring” is so broad as to be without definition. Even MSG can be considered “natural” according to some, since it originates,far far back in the process, from yeast. Other types of natural additives are repugnant, so they hide the real origins behind that much-abused word, natural. (Read Natural Additives: Bugs, Hair, and Anal Secretions, Oh My for the full story on that meaningless ingredient listing.)So, really, this third ingredient could be anything.

A Dishonorable Mention Goes to Stevia in the Raw

Another deceptive product on the stevia bandwagon is Stevia in the Raw. It’s also not really stevia -it’s primary ingredients are dextrose and maltodextrin, both derived from corn, and both likely to be genetically modified. As well, maltodextrin often contains MSG, which doesn’t have to be disclosed in the ingredients list.

Stevia may reduce fertility

While we’re on this subject, stevia alone may not be great for reproductive health. Women in South America use the herb to decrease the likelihood of conception. Check out this video on the topic.

The Conclusion? Truvia is NOT Stevia

Here’s the long and the short of it: if you have a sweet tooth, you simply have to understand that sweet things have calories. Whether you decide to consume things that are sweet is entirely up to you, but a non-harmful, no-calorie sweetener is simply the stuff of fairy tales. Little packets of sweet substances without calories are, without exception, highly processed and often very harmful.

Follow Me

Transform Your Food, Transform Your Life!

Hello, I’m Jane, gluten-free, Paleo chef, author, health practitioner and guide in your journey to health and vitality. My view of Paleo is to nourish true wellness and balance, free of indigestion, weight gain, cravings, and moods. Here I share my transformational lifestyle tips, new techniques, and luscious, original recipes for a new, vital way of living. Yay! You can do this!

Testimonials

THE one and only authentic Paleo dessert cookbook. This meticulously researched and marvelously executed book will delight extreme and moderate Paleo connoisseurs alike. Thank you Ms. Barthelemy. What a gift!” Peter Gold

Paleo Desserts

Follow Janes Healthy Kitchen

You are free to use photos or recipes from janeshealthykitchen.com under these conditions: You must credit the photo or recipe to janeshealthykitchen.com and place the credit under it with this text: Courtesy of janeshealthykitchen.com, linking back to janeshealthykitchen.com.